Hydraulic dredging apparatus



(No Model.) 6 Shets-Shee't 1. H. W. BROWN.

HYDRAULIC DREDGING APPARATUS.

No. 441,055. Patented Nov. 18,1890.

' (No Model.) 6 ShetsSheet 2.

H. W. BROWN.

HYDRAULIC DREDGING APPARATUS.

No. 441,055. Patented Nov. 18, 1890-.

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(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 3'.

I H. W. BROWN. HYDRAULIC DBEDGING APPARATUS.

Patented Nov. 18, 1890.

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(No Model.) 6 Shets-Sheet 4.

H. w. BROWN. HYDRAULIC DREDGING APPARATUS;

I No. 441,055. Patented Nov; 18, 1890."

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H. W. 'WN. HYDRAULIC DRE G APPARATUS.

No. 441,055. Patented Nov. 18, 1890.

NITED TATES HENRY IV. BROWN, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

HYDRAU LIC DREDGING APPARATUS;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 441,055, dated November 18, 1890.

Application filed April 17, 1890. Serial No. 348,343.. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY W. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Dredging Apparatus, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in hydraulic dredging apparatus, and it is carried out as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 represents a plan View of the invention. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the same, parts of which are shown in section. Fig. 3 represents an end View as seen from X in Fig. 1. Fig. at represents a detail plan view of the mechanism for raising and lowering the agitator, for rotating the latter, for oscillating the frame, and for swinging the telescopic suction-pipes to one side. Fig. 5 represents a vertical longitudinal section of the rotary agitator and the telescopic suctionpipes. Fig. 6 represents a detail plan view of the rotary conical carrying-hood. Fig. 7 represents a cross-section on the line Y Y shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 represents a crosssection on the line Z Z, also shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 9 represents a detail side elevation of the rotary agitator, a portion of which is shown in section. Fig. 10 represents detail views of the upper and lower agitator blades or knives. Fig. 11 represents a detail plan view of the ring or wheel to which the agitator shaft and knives are attached. Fig. 12 representsa detail plan view of the rotary conical suctionhood, showing a portion of the aforesaid wheel below it; and Fig. 13 represents detail views of the hub and cap-plate, by means of which the aforesaid wheel or ring is secured to the rotary agitatorshaft.

Similar letters refer to similar parts wherever they occur on the different parts of the drawings.

In carrying out my invention I make use of a dredging-boat A of suitable size, which boat has a semicircular end A. A is the deck of the said dredging-boat, as shown in Figs. 1 2, and 3. At M on said deck is pivoted the oscillating frame B, which carries the suction-pipe, the rotary agitator, and the telescopic pipes leading from the agitator to the horizontal suction-pipe carried by the oscillating frame.

The rotary agitator is constructed as follows: It consists of a conical hood or conveyer 0 upon its upper and lower ends, as shown in Fig. 5, and having attached to the priphery of its lower end a ring 0, provided with radial arms 0 O, as shown in Figs. 5, 9, 11, and 12. To the central portion of said arms C of the ring 0 is attached the upwardlyprojecting vertical shaft G which is prefer ably secured to said arms 0 by means of a hub 0 (shown in detail in Fig. 13,) which hub is attached to the shaft 0 by its recesses C O in its under side for receiving the central portions of the rotary arms 0' C, which are secured to the said hub O by means of a plate or disk 0, (shown in Fig. 13,) and suitable bolts or fastening-screws, by which the hub 0, disk 0, and arms 0" O" of the ring 0 are firmly jointed. I wish, however, to state that the vertical shaft 0 may be secured to the ring 0 in any other suitable manner without departing from the essence of my invention.

To the ring 0 are secured a series of outwardly-proj ecting grooved cutters or agitatorblades D D, preferably provided in their up or agitator-blades D D, having notched ref cesses cl d in their lower ends adapted toreceive the ring 0 and to be secured to the latter in an adj ustable manner by means of suitable fastening-bolts, as shown.

The upper ends of the cutter or agitatorblades D D are secured together by means of an upper ring D, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 5, and 9.

To the upper surface of the conical conveyer C are seen red or made in one piece with it a series of curved wings or ribs 0 C the object of which is to clear the top of the rotary conical conveyer C from any matters or dbris that may fall upon it during the dredging operation and to force such matters outward to enable it to be drawn up through from the under side of the said conical conveyer by the suction-power of the hydraulic pump,hereinafter to be described.

The upper and lower cutter-blades D D are made convex in shape, so that they will commence to cut with their middle portions against the banking that is to be dredged, thus preventing the whole of the vertical extent or length of said knives from being brought simultaneously against the banking, and thus preventing their being accidentally broken.

The upper end of the conical conveyer C is guided or journaled at 0 as shown in Figs. 5 and 9, in a recess in the lower end of the stationary mouth E of the tolescopic suctionpipes. The upper end of the pipe E is connected to the valve-box E, in which is located a suitable feed-valve E loosely pivoted at E (shown in Fig. 5) for the purpose of holding the water and dredging material in the suction-pipes above said valve-chamber when the hydraulic and centrifugal suction-pump is at rest.

E is a vertical bearing on one side of the valve-box E, as shown in Fig. 5,in which the lower end of the agitator-shaft C is journaled, the said bearing being preferably provided with a lignum -vitae bearing-surface e, as shown in Fig. 5; but, if so desired, any other suitable material may be used within the said bearing E without departing from the spirit of my invention.

0 is what is called a dirt-collar]? secured to the rotary agitator-shaft 0 above the correspondingly-shaped collar secured to the top of the bearing E, as shown in Fig. 5, serving in part as a support for the shaft 0 and partly as a means for preventing the dirt and grit from entering the bearing E.

To the top of the valve-box E is secured a hollow pipe F, and within the same is vertically adjustable the telescopic pipes F, and within the latter is also vertically adjustable a similar telescopic pipe F, which pipes are to be provided with suitable packings to effect a tight joint between them, as they are extended or closed, and provided with suitable stop pins or collars to cause them to move together as they are being extended or closed together, as is common in telescopictube devices.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings I have shown only two movable telescopic sections F and F; but it will readily be seen that I may use any suitable number of such telescopic pipes, according to the depth to which the dredging is to be carried. To one side of the stationary pipe F is secured a bearing F in which the upper end of the rotary agitator-shaft O is journaled, the latter being preferably provided in its upper end with aclutch or polygonal socket 0 adapted to receive the correspondingly-shaped lower end of the drivingshaft G, (shown in Fig. 5,) and to be secured to the same by means of a pin or other suitable connecting devices. To the upper end of the telescopic pipe F is secured abearing F in which the lower end of the drivingshaft Gis journaled, as shown in Fig. 5. The telescopic pipes F, F, and F are preferably made four-sided; but they may be made of any other desired section without departing from the essence of my invention.

E E (shown in Fig. 3 are) perforated ears or projections on two opposite sides of the valve-chamber E, to which the lower ends of the ropes or chains are attached, by which the agitator is raised and lowered or swung to one side of the scow or boat, as will hereinafter be more fully shown and described.

The upper end of the inner section F of the vertical telescopic pipes is attached in a suitable manner to an elbow-pipe F (shown in Fig. 2,) the horizontal end of which is adapted to turn in a stuffing-box joint on the horizontal suction-pipe F, as shown at F in said Fig. 2. To the outer end of the elbow F is secured in a suitable manner a vertical bearing F in which the vertical agitator driving-shaft G is journaled, said shaft having a number of vertical grooves g, to which is splined a beveled gear G in such a manner that said gear may be rotated so as to impart a rotary motion to the shaft G, with freedom for the latter to move up and down on said gear during the raising and lowering of the rotary agitator. The inner end of the horizontal suction-pipe F is secured to an elbow-pipe F, the lower end of which turns in a stuffing-box joint F on the pipe F which leads to the centrifugal suction-pump H, as shown in Fig. 2.

H is the delivery-pipe, leading from the centrifugal pump H, through which the dredg ing material and water are forced and delivered to any desired place by means of any suitable delivery or conveyer pipes.

I is a steam-engine, preferably located below deck, and i is the rotary driving-shaft 011 said engine, to which shaft is secured a pulley I, from which leads a belt I to a pulley k on the horizontal shaft K, which shaft is located in suitable bearings below the deck A. To said shaft are secured two pulleys K K, from which lead belts K" K to pulleys H" H on the ends of the rotary pumpshaft H by which arrangement a rotary mo tion is imparted to the rotary pump-shaft in the usual manner.

The agitator drivingshaft G is set in a rotary motion by intermediate connecting mechanism from the shaft K and engine I, as follows:

On the shaft K is a beveled gear K the teeth of which mesh in the corresponding gear L on a vertical shaft L, the upper end of which is journaled in suitable bearings on the frame L, secured to the deck of the scow, as shown in Fig. 2. To the upper end of said shaft is secured a spur-gear L the teeth of which mesh ina similar spur-gear M, secured to a vertical shaft M, having its upper end journaled in a bearing M, secured to the frameL and havin its lower end 'ournaled in a bearing secured to the elbow suctionpipe F. The axis of the shaft M and verti cal portion of the elbow F are made to coincide, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

. M is a miter-gear secured to the shaft M, which gear meshes in a miter-gear M secured to the shaft 072, located in bearings m m", secured, respectively, to the elbow-pipe F and horizontal suction-pipe F", as shown in Fig. 2. The forward end of the shaft on is clutched to a short shaft m by means of a clutch m and the forward end of said shaft m is universally jointed to a horizontal shaft m by means of universal joints m m, one of which can slide on the shaft on which it is located. The shaft m is located in bearings m secured to the elbow-pipe F and to the forward end of the shaft m is secured a beveled pinion M the teeth of which mesh in the beveled gear G on the shaft g.

In operating this my improved hydraulic.

dredging apparatus it is essential that the agitator While being rotated around its axis should be oscillated with the frame that carries it to the right and left in a circular path, and for this purpose I make use of mechanism as follows: To the shaft m is secured the miter-gear N, (shown in Fig. 4,) the teeth of which mesh in a similar miter-gear N, secured to a shaft N, located in bearings in the frame B, and to said shaft N are secured the pulleys N and N, with respective direct and cross belts n and n leading to the pulleys O? and O", loosel journaled on the shaft 0, journaled in suitable hearings on the frame B and provided with a friction-clutch 0 by means of which either one of the pulleys O or 0 may be connected to the shaftO, according to the direction in which it is desired to drive the latter. To the shaft 0 is secured a beveled pinion O',the teeth of which mesh in a beveled pinion 0 secured to a shaft 0 journaled in bearings in .the frame B and provided in its lower end with the vertical pinion O, the teeth of which mesh in a curved toothed rack-bar 0 secured in a suitable manner to the deck A, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4. By the employment of a curved rack O and the vertical pinion O the frame B and themechanism carried by it is permitted freely to sag slightly downward, as may occur from time to time, without causing any binding between the pinion O and curved rack-bar 0 which is a constant source of trouble in machinery of this kind where the pinion and the curved rack are arranged horizontally instead of vertically, as shown in the drawings. The frame B is supported in itsouter part by means of flanged wheels or rollersB, attached to the shaft B, located in bearings securedv to the frame-work B,

which wheels are madeto roll on a curved rail or bar a, secured to the top of the deck A.

The mechanism for raising and lowering the agitator and its telescopic tubes is constructed as follows? The miter-gear N on the shaft m meshes in the teeth of a miter-gear P on the shaft P, journaled in suitable bearings on the frame B. To said shaft P is secured a pulley P", provided with a belt P leading to a pulley P loosely journaled on a shaft P journaled in bearings on the frame B, said shaft having splined on it a frictionclutch P by means of which therotary motion from the pulley P may be connected to or disconnected from the'said shaft P as is usual in clutch devices. To the shaft P is secured a pinion P, the teeth of which mesh in the teeth of a gear q, secured to the drumshaft Q, journaled in hearings in the frame B. To the shaft Q are secured the hoisting-drums Q Q, from which lead the hoisting-ropes R R, guide-pulleys B B journaled in bearings on the laterally-extending upper frame-bar B, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The bar B extends in a lateral direction nearly the whole width of the scow, and hasjournaled to its ends the sheaves or pulleys B on which the ropes are guided downward around the sheave R. and secured in their upper ends'to the outer ends of the lateral bar B as shown in Fig. 3. The pulley or hook of the sheave R is connected in a suitable manner, preferably by means of ropes, chains, or links R" R to the ears E on the valve-chamber E, as shown in said Fig. 3, and it will be seen that bythis arrangementtheagitator andtelescopic tubes may be raised in a very simple and effective manner, the hoisting-ropes serving, also, as diagonal braces to take up any side strain to which the agitator and its pipes may be subjected during the operation of the machine. In lowering the agitator and its telescopic pipes as the dredging operation is continued downward, the friction-clutch P is moved away from the pulley P and the agitator and its telescopic tubes are allowed to sink downward, such downward motion being regulated by means of a brake-drum P secured to the shaft P and provided with a wooden brake-lever P and strap and lever releasing mechanism, as is common in brake devices for hoisting-machines. V

In a machine of this kindit is essential that the agitator should be swung to one side, so as to bring it out of the water for the purpose of repairing it or its knives or for cleaning it from any dbris that may have I collected thereon, and for this purpose I provide one of the hoisting-drums (the one marked Q" in Fig. 4) with a clutch Q adapted to slide on said shaft Q, and by means of which the said drum Q" can be connected to or disconnected from the drum-shaft Q; If it is desired to swing the agitator and telescopic tubes to one side of the scow, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, all that is'necessary to do is to discon- ICC IIO

nect the clutch Q from the drum Q, leaving 7 4 4&1,055

R will be wound around, thus swinging the agitator to one side out of the water more or less, for the purpose mentioned.

The different clutches are provided with suitable levers, links, and locking devices, as is usual in the operation of such clutches, and they need not here be described in detail, as they are well known in the art and form no part of my present invention.

By means of the lateral beams 13 the hoisting-ropes are thrown into diagonal lines, so that they operate as braces to counteract side strain, while by the independent power-driven drums Q Q, connected with such hoistingropes, the agitator can be automatically raised and lowered or swung to either side to bring the agitator out of the water. In this respect my invention differs from a dredging-machine wherein two manually-operated windlasses connected with two cables are employed to haul the suction -pipe in the direction the work is to be done, and a third Windlass or winch connected with a hoisting-cable is used to raise and lower the agitator in a right line.

Between the elbow-joint F and the bearing F of the shaft G is made the cylindrical trunnion F supported in a bar S, the lateral ends or extensions of which are connected by means of upwardly-projecting links or bars S S to spring-buffers S S, arranged on the top of the cross-bar B as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, by which arrangement the outer end of the suction-pipe elbow F is properly supported during the operation of the machine.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

By means of the engine I the box in the pump H is rotated as usual, and as the agitator is rotated against the side or bottom of the portion that is to be dredged below the water the dredging material is drawn up from the water through the conical conductor 0, tubular conductor E, valve chamber E, telescopic tubes F F F, and pipes F, F, F and F leading to the pump H and ejected from the latter onto the land that is to be made or into scows by means of the pipe H and suitable connecting-pipes. During the progress of the dredging process the frame B and the rotary agitator are oscillated toward the right and left and the agitator lowered from time to time by mechanism, as hereinabove set forth, until the desired depth is reached, when the agitator and telescopic pipes are raised to the desired height, after which the scow or dredging apparatus is brought into a new position, the agitator set in a rotary motion laterally to the desired depth for commencing the work and swung to the right and left and gradually lowered until the'desired depth is reached, and so on.

Having thus fully described the nature, construction, and operation of my invention, I wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim 1. In a dredging-machine, the combination, with an oscillatory frame and a suction-pipe, of a rotary agitator carried by a shaft at one side of the suction-pipe and comprising a conical hood having upwardly and downwardly projecting cutters at its periphery, substantially as described.

2. In a dredging apparatus, a conical hood secured to a rotary shaft and having secured to its periphery upwardly and downwardly projecting cutters, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a dredging apparatus, arotating conical hood having curved wings or ribs 0 on its upper side and having secured to its periphery a series of upwardly and downwardly projecting cutters, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a dredging apparatus, a telescopic suction-pipe and a vertically-adjustable rotary agitator-shaft arranged outside of the same, combined with a conical hood secured to said agitator-shaft and having secured to its periphery a series of upwardly and downwardly projecting cutters, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The herein-described rotary agitator, consisting of a conical hood, a ring 0 secured to the periphery of said hood and having its arms 0 O secured to a rotary driving-shaft,oombined with upwardly and downwardly projecting cutters secured to the periphery of said ring or hood, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a dredging apparatus, a knife carrying hood secured to a rotary shaft arranged outside of the suction-pipe, combined with a valve-chamber having a branch or conduit E, in which the upper end of said hood is journaled, and a telescopic suction-pipe, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a dredging-machine, the combination, with a vertically-adjustable shaft, of a rotary agitator comprising the ring 0, the upwardly and downwardly projecting cutters D D, provided, respectively, at their adjacent ends with the notches or recesses d d, in which the ring is clamped, and a ring D, connecting the upwardly-proj ectin g cutters, substantially as described.

8. In a dredging apparatus, a scow or vessel having secured to its deck a segmental rack, combined with an oscillating suctionpipe and agitator-carrying frame having a vertical shaft 0 and a pinion O on the same meshing in the upright teeth of the said rack, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In a dredging apparatus, the combination, with a scow or vessel, of an oscillating frame mounted thereon and carrying alateral beam B provided with guide-pulleys, two power-driven drums Q Q, mounted on a single shaft Q, journaled on the frame, a rotary agitator and telescopic suction-pipe, two hoisting chains or cables R, leading from the two drums over the pulleys on the lateral beam and serving as diagonal braces for and adapted to raise and lower the agitator, and a clutch Q located on the drum-shaft, for disconnecting one of the drums from the drum-shaft to In testimony whereoflhave signed myname 1o automatically swing the agitator laterally out to this specification, in the presence of two subof the Water, substantially as described. scribing witnesses, on this 20th day of Febru- 10. In a dredging apparatus, a rotary coniary, A. D. 1890. 5 cal hood having secured to it a series of downwardly-projecting cutters and a series of upwardly-projecting cutters having their upper \Vitnesses: ends united together by means of a ring D", ALBAN ANDREN, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. M. J. JACKSON.

HENRY \V. BROWN. 

